Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh will undertake a two-day official visit to Morocco from September 22-23, 2025, at the invitation of Minister Delegate of National Defence of Morocco Mr. Abdeltif Loudiyi. This will mark the first-ever visit of a Raksha Mantri to the North African nation, underscoring the growing strategic convergence between India and Morocco.

 A key highlight of the visit will be the inauguration of Tata Advanced Systems Maroc’s new manufacturing facility for the Wheeled Armoured Platform (WhAP) 8x8 at Berrechid. This facility is the first-ever Indian defence manufacturing plant in Africa, which marks an important milestone that reflects the growing global footprint of India’s defence industry under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative.

 During the visit, Raksha Mantri will hold a bilateral meeting with Mr. Loudiyi to strengthen defence, strategic and industry cooperation. He will also call on Morocco’s Minister of Industry and Trade Mr. Ryad Mezzour, to explore avenues for industrial collaboration. Shri Rajnath Singh will also interact with the vibrant Indian community in Rabat during his visit.

 Both sides are also expected to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Cooperation in the field of Defence. The MoU will provide an institutional framework to expand and deepen bilateral defence engagement, including exchanges, training, and industrial linkages. Indian Navy ships have been making regular port calls at Casablanca in recent years, and this agreement will further consolidate such ties.

 Ties between India and Morocco have gained momentum since His Majesty King Mohammed VI’s meeting with Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in 2015 in India. The upcoming visit is expected to add fresh energy to this partnership, particularly in the defence and strategic sectors.

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